The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-25
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
A DANGEROUS AMENDMENT.

, Charles Dudley Warner Taken tn Task for
| His Views ON " womAn's MIssion."
Charles Dudley Warner. in the "Edi-
tors Drawer" of Rarper's Magazine. is
J fond of dealing little oblique blows
against equal rights for women. and
this month he breaks out again, in the
course of an article written in praise
of beautiful old ladies.
Mr.. Warner processes himself very
weary of hearing about woman's mis-
sion, yet in the same article he in
dulges himself in q definition of that
mission-a definition poetical, indeed.
but not altogether novel He says:
"Women, whose mission it is to al
lure in youth. and to tinge the begin
ming of the world with romance. also
makes (sic) the end of the world more
serenely satisfactory and beautiful
than the outset. And this has been
done without any amendment to the
Constitution of the United States; in
fact, it is possible that the Sixteenth
Amendment would rather hinder than
help this gracious process"
Now. does any one seriously believe
that beautiful girl would be unable
"to allure in youth and to tinge the
beginning of the world with
romance" if she took m intelligent
interest in the affairs of her country,
and were recognized as worthy Of
having her opinion counted? Per-
haps the objector would not press this
point. He would have to admit that,
while woman is young and charm.
ing. she could. probably. perform her
whole duty of ''ailuring her suscep-
Nble fellow-creatures, and ting ng
their lives with romance. no matter
what her political status might be.
But it is the "gracious process" of
growing old beautifully that MI.
Warner fears might be hindered by a
Sixteenth Amendment. As he, I'M
fortunately. neglec.s to explain how it
would be hindered, we must try to
puzzle this out by ourselves. Let us
consider the reasons he mentions as
contributing to make some old ladies
SO charming, and see at which of
these attractions the Sixteenth Amend
ment would deal deadly blow.
Mr.. Warner says that ''their interest
in life is broader than it once was";
''they have got rid of much nonsense"
''thcy can afford to be truthful"
''they have most delicious courage of
opinion. about men. say. and in poll
ties" ''they have very little any longer
to conceal;" ''they are not afraid to be
gay and to have enthusiasms;" they
are "emancipated"; "they possess
knowledge of life. yes. and of affairs;
for it must be said of these ladies we
hase in mind that they keep up with
the current thought, that they are read
ers of books. even of newspapers.
1t really is not easy to see how any
of these things would be hindered by
the right to vote, while some of them
would evidently be helped by it. There
is no special virtue in disfranchisemcnt
to make anybody broad-minded. gay,
free from nonsense. rich in knowledge
of life and of affairs. etc. And is there
not something slightly absurd in the
idea that u woman of mature years.
and all these varied abilities, would
lose her charms but for the law which
classes her with her own infant grand
children, with idiots and dementcd
persons, criminals and other political
noncOmpetents? We fear Mr.. Warner
will have to do like the delightful old
ladies, and "get rid of much nom
sense" before he learns to take an in
telligent view of the woman question.
Alice Stone Blackwell, in Woman's
Journal.